A Very Big If
by thisonewillworkforsure
Summary: What if Cloud saves Aerith from Sephiroth, changing the tragedy as we know it? Clerith.
1. Chapter 1

A/N- Hey everyone. Really hyped for the remake and decided to make this. The scenario may be off from my poor memory, but I tried my best XD. Hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer- I don't own Final Fantasy VII.

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 _Aerith?_ Cloud saw her praying, the only thing separating them were a few platforms he could jump over in ease. The ex-soldier grew weary, but it wasn't something that would be abated by simply falling asleep. He felt this restlessness since the Cetra left off on her own.

To see her again lifted his heart, he had so many things he wanted to tell her, and the relief that Sephiroth wasn't around made him feel better.

Cloud signaled the others to stay and jumped over the platforms to reach Aerith. The closer he was towards Aerith, the more excited he was. He was even feeling emotions that were unfamiliar to him. The feelings grew darker with every step; words began to vibrate in his mind louder and louder.

 _Kill her_

 _Kill her?_

 _Kill her now!_

Cloud felt himself slipping, losing his normal conscience, the voices in his head growing stronger. He tried as hard as he could, he remembered all too well the last time he let Sephiroth control him. His determination wasn't enough; he gave in to the voices. Cloud walked towards Aerith, not as Cloud, but a puppet.

Aerith continued to pray. She felt the struggle in Cloud's heart and heard him scream in his mind _Get away!_ She knew what Sephiroth was making Cloud do, but she didn't move an inch and continued to pray as if he wasn't there. The Cetra knew the battle going on inside Cloud and this was her way of telling him that he can overcome it. She believed in him.

Aerith's faith was put to the test as Cloud grabbed his Buster Sword and heaved it over his head, preparing for the greatest sin of his life, puppet or not. In that moment the ex-soldier looked at Aerith before delivering the blow. Cloud heard the others scream his name as he began his motion, and with every fiber of his being, he was able to control himself to stop the motion before he hit Aerith.

He won. The voices were gone.

The spiky haired youth was very relieved that he was able to overcome it. Aerith moved her head up and looked at him, thinking, _I knew you could do it Cloud._

Cloud continued to stare at her, swept with relief and peace that she is alright. He didn't know what to do now, to talk to her, or to approach her, or even leave her alone in fear of him being controlled again. His concentration broke, a soldier's intuition telling him something ominous was about to happen. Cloud looked up and saw Sephiroth, sword first falling to the ground with Aerith as his target.

Cloud, with widened eyes and moved by adrenaline from the fear of what could happen, held his sword as hard as he could, and jumped to meet Sephiroth. The sounds of clashing metal were echoing throughout the capital. They continued their exchange before they both landed on the ground. Aerith moved away until she was barely outside the altar. Sephiroth looked at Cloud quizzically, shocked by his behavior, but the silver haired man remained calm.

"Get away from Aerith!" Cloud exclaimed, dashing towards Sephiroth, They clashed for a while until Sephiroth started to laugh. An awkward Cloud stopped and asked him "What is so funny?"

"That you are pretending to have these emotions," Sephiroth stopped laughing, "You don't really care what happens to the girl."

"Don't tell me how I feel Sephiroth!" Cloud said with shaking arms, "I won't let you kill Aerith."

"Puppets can't rewrite the script," Sephiroth readied his sword, pointing towards Aerith, "There is only one way this ends."

Just like 5 years ago, Cloud is confronting his ex-hero. The next few moments slowed down for Cloud. Everything Sephiroth has done to him has crossed his mind in flashes during these few moments. Sephiroth, the great Sephiroth, the man he once idolized, destroyed his hometown, is trying to destroy and world, and tried to kill Aerith, his Aerith. Aerith also felt these feelings stir inside Cloud, and also feels the pain that Cloud had endured from Sephiroth.

Sephiroth has terrorized everything that meant anything to him. To possess Cloud to beat up Aerith and then try to kill her, the thought of it left him swirling with indignation he never had before. Sephiroth always had his way with him.

But not today.

 _You've gone too far_ were the words echoing in his mind. On impulse he charged towards Sephiroth, landing a slash on him. Sephiroth, as great as a fighter he is, couldn't even stop Cloud now, nobody could. Cloud was too fast, even for him. The blonde haired man didn't stop there, he slashed him several more times, each too fast to count, the next one more intense than the last. Cloud paused only to charge the finishing blow but Sephiroth, tattered in blood, vanished, leaving no trace but a faint echo of laughter.

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They returned to where they rested before in the capital of the Ancients, only Aerith was with them now. They all agreed to stay there for the night. The fear of Sephiroth coming back was scary, but the day was just too exhausting and the thought of having a bed nearby was too strong.

Other than everyone asking if Aerith is alright, the mood was quiet after the encounter, most of them going to sleep. Barret, Tifa, and Aerith stayed awake, talking about where to go from here. Cloud stayed by the water near the altar where Aerith almost died.

The spiky haired youth didn't talk to anyone, just lost in thought. Thinking, about what he could've lost today. As painful as it was when he was being controlled to beat up Aerith, to see her almost die was too much. He lost faith in himself, in his ability to stop Sephiroth, and in his ability to protect Aerith.

 _There is a part of me I don't understand._ Cloud pondered, _I should probably leave tonight, if I stay..._ Cloud didn't finish the thought but let it linger on in his mind. Flashes of worst case scenarios ran in his head, until he heard some footsteps behind him. Cloud didn't turn to see who it was.

"You okay Cloud?" but then again, he didn't need to turn to know who it was.

"I don't know Aerith." Cloud replied. Aerith continued to walk until they were standing side by side.

They both stared at the water in silence. Cloud's mind was repeating the same thoughts that have been with him since Sephiroth showed up. Aerith could feel that inside he was hurt, mostly at himself. The Cetra waited for Cloud to talk when he was ready. It is one of the things that Cloud loved about Aerith, that she let him be himself. The ex-soldier chose not to look at Aerith, but continued to look down and avoid eye contact with the Cetra.

"You were right to come here on your own..." Cloud spoke in a solemn tone, torn at what he planned to say, "Even if I was being controlled, I can never forgive myself for almost killing you. Sephiroth will keep coming after you Aerith, and he will use me again, it's not safe for you to be around me."

Aerith stayed silent, allowing Cloud to keep talking, "That's why I should quit this journey," Cloud suggested, "Before I do something terrible. So I will go after Sephiroth on my own. If something happened and I ended up hurting you again, I-"

But this was too much for Aerith to hear. She grabbed both his shoulders, moved him so he was facing her. She was broken up, and she can feel that Cloud in his heart truly feels this is the way to go. "No," She started, "I shouldn't have come here alone. But you need to know, I didn't come here alone because I was afraid Sephiroth was going to control you again."

Aerith paused, a tear streaking down her face, "I felt like after I was done, I was going to die, and I was ok with that. But when you are near me, I don't think I can go through with it Cloud! And I couldn't think about that." Aerith was quiet for a moment, wiping a tear and shaking her head. Cloud continued to stare at her.

"And don't you think about leaving us!" Aerith continued, "I know it's tough and I can't imagine what that is like, but you overcame it just now and you can do it again. We need you too much, **I** need you..."

Aerith's last 3 words resonated in Cloud's mind. He felt at ease, for this first time today, he was ok. Aerith was able to see that Cloud was clearing up as well. Aerith moved closer to Cloud, removing whatever separation that was between them,

"And I will help you Cloud," Aerith continued, "I promise to never run off ever again." she let out a smile. There were few things that could make the ex-soldier smile, but seeing the Cetra smile herself was one of them. Cloud knew he was beat.

"Ok," Cloud said, "I'll stay." Their moods lightened, ready to put the day behind them.

"Thank you, my bodyguard." Aerith quipped, with feelings of both joy and relief. Cloud smiled back.

"We already had a date, another payment is due." he joked.

"Well, " Aerith started before putting her arms around him, "I guess we have to go on another date then.." and before they knew it, they closed their eyes and embraced each other, sealing the deal with a kiss.

Later on in the night, they both sat down, heads leaning on each other, watching the water while holding hands. The thought of them losing each other was too strong, and they wanted to make the most of the time they had now. For this night, nothing else mattered to them, just each other. _I hope this night never ends_ Cloud voiced in his mind during his moment of peace, knowing that Aerith is fine, and with him.

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A/N- If you made it this far, thank you for reading my fanfic (even if you didn't read it at all and just read this, thank you anyway :D). It has been an idea to continue the story for the rest of the game, just with Aerith alive, but I don't have faith in me being able to finish it XD. If people like it enough I would consider it, but people liking my work, that's "a very big if" *runs


	2. Chapter 2

A/N- Hey guys. After some thought, I decided to to make this fanfic continue through the rest of the game. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer- I don't own Final Fantasy 7.

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"Aerith I'm home." Cloud announced. He walked towards her while carrying a bag of items. Aerith was busy so she asked Cloud to go out and get some things.

Aerith inspected the bag to see if Cloud got everything she wanted. Nothing looked out of the ordinary to her, she looked up to him and smiled. "Thank you honey."

Aerith and Cloud lived in an old house. Wooden floors, technological equipment on one side, a place to sleep on the other. It wasn't something Cloud pictured as an ideal home but he never questioned it. It was at least big enough for them and their newborn.

Aerith sat on a chair, cradling a blanketed baby in her arms. "He still doesn't have a name."

"I am sorry, I am not good with names." Cloud shrugged.

"Try to come up with a few names today, ok? He is almost three weeks old now. You should have some input on the name of our son at least."

Cloud accepted her terms. "Ok, I will try. But don't expect much."

They heard a knock on the door. Aerith placed the baby in the crib, and kissed Cloud's cheek before opening the door. Seeing who it was, Aerith stepped back with alarm. Cloud saw her reaction and turned his head towards the door.

"What do you want Hojo!?" Cloud shouted. He ran in between the Cetra and the scientist. Cloud was ready to usher him outside, but he saw a dark figure outside walking in.

"We meet again." The man said before he walked inside and revealed himself. Cloud didn't need to see who it was though; he could recognize that voice anywhere.

"Why are you here Sephiroth?" Cloud asked.

"I have waited a long time for another specimen." Hojo interrupted. "There is still so much research to be done."

"I am not going back with you!" Aerith said, holding a staff with both hands. Cloud readied his Buster Sword. Hojo began to laugh uncontrollably.

"No, you won't come back with me." Hojo's laughing stopped. "Sephiroth will deal with you, I am here for the baby."

Hojo walked towards the crib. Cloud tried to stop him but Sephiroth interfered. Aerith cast several spells on Sephiroth. It was difficult for her to perform magic unleashed; they are indoors with her baby in the room. Nevertheless she was able to concentrate well enough to cast effective spells, making her target.

They hurt Sephiroth, a cringe appeared on the silver haired man's face. Now angry, Sephiroth turned to Aerith and slashed her. She dropped her staff and fell to the ground.

"Aerith, NO!" Cloud screamed, running towards Sephiroth in a fit of rage.

Cloud and Sephiroth continued to clash swords. The blonde haired man put everything in this fight, but he was outskilled. Sephiroth reacted faster, hit harder, and gained the upper hand on Cloud. Cloud eventually made a mistake and Sephiroth capitalized, he dodged the younger man's attack and got a clean slash through his chest. Cloud dropped on his knees, immobilized. Sephiroth looked down at him with a fiendish grin.

"What did you expect to happen?" Sephiroth laughed. "There is no future for you Cloud, not here."

"Why are you doing this?" Cloud asked him, trying to get up.

"I am fulfilling my destiny." Sephiroth replied, "Saving the girl was pointless, she will unite with the planet soon, one way or another. Once I head north, she will become a part of me. We all have a purpose Cloud, and you forgot yours."

Sephiroth approached Aerith. Cloud almost got up but the pain was in too much. He collapsed on the ground with a thud. Sephiroth slowed down his pace, to emphasize that whatever they could try would fail. Aerith was hurt, but seeing Hojo closing in on the crib pushed her adrenaline, she had to try to protect her child. She tried to cast ice towards Hojo, but Sephiroth casted silence on her, receiving pleasure from the dejected look on Aerith's face. He teleported behind her, then gave Cloud a menacing smile, indicating what he was going to do.

"NOOO!" Cloud shouted. Sephiroth ignored him and stabbed Aerith, her lifeless body fell over on the sword.

xxxxx

Cloud jolted up on his bed, gasping for air. After a few quick glances around the room, he saw his friends, realizing that what he saw before was a dream. His memory of last night came back to him. A few hours ago he and Aerith decided to call it a night. Barret's snoring across the room made it hard for him to fall asleep, and now he just woke up from his nightmare. Cloud caught his breath and remembered the conversation he had with Sephiroth. _Head north?_ He thought.

The dream felt real to Cloud, it reinforced his doubts on being able to protect his loved ones. He considered going back to sleep, but he didn't want to on that note, or even get another nightmare again. Cloud wanted to go see Aerith, a part of him still couldn't believe that she is truly alright.

He quietly climbed down the ladder to where the girl's room is. Aerith, Tifa, and Yuffie each had a bed for themselves. He looked at Aerith while standing next to the ladder to the boy's room. The moonlight shone from the window, the light falling on Aerith's face. Cloud could see her as clearly as if it were daytime.

Cloud was fixated on her, stunned by her beauty. She looked like a princess from a fairy tale. She made him forget the nightmare he had earlier. Never in his life had he met someone who can ease his pain the way she does, even when she isn't trying. Cloud wanted to keep looking at her, but didn't want to risk waking anybody up, so he reluctantly went back to his room.

Little did he know that Aerith was awake but only kept her eyes closed.

"Goodnight Cloud." she whispered before returning to sleep.

xxxxx

Morning arrived and everyone slowly gathered to the first floor. The last one was a weary Cloud, whose sleeping issues gave him droopy eyelids. Tifa saw Cloud coming downstairs and noticed how tired the ex-soldier appeared.

"Rough night?" Tifa said, hoping for a smile.

"Been better." Cloud replied. Of course he had a great night last night, until he went to sleep.

"Awright, so where we goin' now?" Barret said, being to the point.

"We keep going north." Cloud replied.

"You seem really sure about it." Red XIII noted.

"I had a dream about Sephiroth last night, "Cloud explained, "He said he was going to go north. I get the feeling he wants us there..."

"We should go." Aerith agreed, "Holy may not be able to stop Meteor, so we should still try to take the black material from Sephiroth."

Tifa raised an eyebrow, curious why Sephiroth would go through the trouble to give Cloud the message, it didn't add up to her. "But why would Sephiroth tell us where to go? And this isn't the first time you saw him in your dreams, why is he doing this?"

"I dunno." Cloud shrugged. The ex-soldier wrote off Sephiroth's acts as just an evil guy being evil. He never thought about it more than that.

"Whatever," Barret folded his arms. "Let him think what he wants. We'll tear em' a new one."

The party decided to move north, through the corral cave. Even though the talk with Aerith made Cloud feel better about keeping his control, the nightmare instilled new doubts, chipping away at his faith. He stayed in the back, keeping distance from everyone.

Aerith noticed what he was doing. She pretended to tie her boots. The others looked at her, about to wait for her to finish but she waved her hand, signaling them to keep moving. Aerith continued her mock tying until Cloud was next to her, then she sprung up like a rocket and began to walk side by side with Cloud.

Cloud tried his best to not cause a scene; he looked away from Aerith and continued walking. Aerith wasn't going to leave it at that, she snatched his hand and held it. They never talked about it, but she knew Cloud preferred to keep any kind of intimacy between them private from the others, even something as innocent as holding hands.

She knew this would strike a nerve in Cloud. Cloud turned to her, a little red on his face. The Cetra loved Cloud's stoic personality, but she enjoyed putting him in awkward situations that would crack his shell.

Aerith whispered to him "Nice try." The ex-soldier relented, staying by Aerith hand in hand the rest of trip.

xxxxx

With tired legs and cold bodies they made it to the Icicle Inn. Despite the sun shining bright, it was still bitter cold. The locals were used to these conditions so all of them wore heavy clothing. This weather was new to the party and the trek to get to the town didn't help.

"It's too *&$^$# cold!" Cid shouted to nobody. "Let's go inside!" He pointed at the inn, fighting shivers.

"I'm with ya man." Barret agreed. "Can't feel my legs." They all walked inside the inn. Yuffie stormed inside like a bat out of hell, pushing everyone that was in her way.

 _Why did I wear shorts?!_ The ninja thought.

The last one to enter was Red XIII, who thanks to his fur was the only one to not feel cold. _A good time to not be human_ He noted before entering.

Everyone stood by the counter, prepared to pay the fee. While waiting for the innkeeper to give them their keys, they heard some people talking across the lobby. They treated it as white noise, until Aerith thought she heard one of them say "Cetra". Curious, she approached the two men.

"Yeah, a Cetra lived in this town a long time ago." Said one of the men, "Her name was Ifalna, and she knew a lot of things..." Aerith's eyes lit up at the mention of her mother's name. Cloud and the others saw Aerith standing by the two men and approached her.

"Whaddya mean?" asked the other patron.

"I heard she was abducted by the Shinra and was taken somewhere." the other man replied.

"Excuse me mister, but do you know where she used to live?" Aerith asked.

"She used to live in the house down the road." The man replied. "Nobody has lived there since." Aerith thanked them and anxiously left the inn to go to the house.

She found the house as the man said, and it was as empty as he described it. The Cetra was still in doubt that her mother really lived here. After looking around more, she found a tape, and much to her surprise, she could play it. With a heavy heart, she started the tape, uncertain of what she will see.

Oblivious to Aerith, Cloud entered the house before she started the tape. He looked around, amazed at the similarity that the house had to the one in his nightmare, it felt surreal to him. Cloud stood by the front door and watched the tape as well.

The monitor showed Aerith's mother and another scientist. Aerith fought off tears, she hasn't seen her biological mother since she was a child, and her mother looked like she was close to the same age as Aerith during the recording. She loved Elmyra as her mother more than anything, but she knew her biological mother did everything she could for her.

Aerith then thought about the scientist and furrowed her brow. She was unfamiliar with the man. As he asked her questions she noticed how considerate he was towards her mother.

"Ifalna...Let's take a break." The man suggested in the middle of the tape, noticing how serious the subject was to Ifalna. This shocked Aerith. The only scientist she knew was Hojo, and to see consideration from one was a pleasant surprise.

"I'm alright." Ifalna replied and continued to talk about the Cetra. Aerith was amazed at how much her mother knew. Ifalna knew about Jenova and she knew about "Weapon" which was still a mystery to her.

She continued to watch the tapes and found one where she couldn't see anything but she could still hear them talk. Her mother and the scientist seemed more casual to each other.

"What are you doing Prof... I mean honey?" Ifalna asked the professor. Aerith was shocked. _Is he really my..._

She didn't need to ponder long. Aerith heard the professor say "I've already decided that if it's a girl, then it'll be Aerith. That's that!"

It finally sank in for Aerith that the professor was her father. She paused the video and started to break out in tears. The Cetra never saw her father or what he looked like from pictures or what he was like as a person, and she didn't expect to learn all these things today. It touched her that he seemed so sincere towards her and her mother and they looked happy together.

But although she didn't know how they started, she knew that they didn't have a happy ending. She played the tape, trying to embrace whatever the end may bring.

She reached the end of the video, where Hojo arrived, ready to take her and her mother away. A guard shot the camera but she heard her father to tell them to run, and then a gunshot was heard, followed by Ifalna screaming "Darling...!"

Aerith turned off the tapes and stood still with her head down. Hojo, who held Aerith hostage and caused her mother to die, was the reason her father died too. She realized that she is in the same room where it all happened: where her parents fell in love, where she was born, where her father died...on impulse she turned to get out of the house. She stopped when she saw Cloud was standing by the door, a look on his face that let her know he saw what she saw.

"I am sorry Aerith." Cloud said in a somber tone, sympathizing for her. It hurt him to see her like this.

"Thank you, but I need to go somewhere else for a little bit." Aerith replied, trying to not shoot down his compassion, but she really wanted to get out of the house. Cloud stepped away and let her out.

xxxxx

"And that's what happened" Cloud finished explaining the tapes to everyone. The only one that wasn't around was Aerith.

"Hojo..." Vincent said, trailing off to his thoughts about Hojo. The scientist was someone Vincent knew all too well. This was another thing that Hojo has done that he must pay for.

"I can't believe he would break up a family like that." Tifa said.

"Next time I see him I'll *&$^$ his ass up!" Barret shouted.

"Yeah. As bad as the situation is right now with the planet, we can't forget that something needs to be done with Shinra and Hojo." Cloud agreed.

"So what do we do now?" Red XIII asked.

"We will leave in the morning. For now, just get as much sleep as you can" Cloud replied.

"Sounds good!" Yuffie chimed in.

The sun was setting, everyone stayed to themselves in the inn. Cloud didn't see Aerith, so he went outside to look for her. After looking around he saw the Cetra sitting on a wooden bench, watching two girls work on a snowman. Cloud approached her.

"How are you doing?" Cloud asked her before he sat next to her.

"I'm ok." Aerith lied. She had been lost in thought since watching the tapes. It has been a roller coaster for her the last few days: she almost died the day before and she just now learned what happened to her family. The green eyed girl paused for a few moments before continuing.

"I never knew who my father was before. My real mom only said a few things about him. And I am sad I never got to meet him," she then turned to Cloud. "But I am happy that he was a nice person, and he loved my mom and me."

Cloud let out a smile, "I think you are right Aerith, it looked like they were happy."

"Yeah, they really did..." Aerith agreed. "Do you think that will happen to me too?"

"What do you mean?"

"Will I always have to be on the run from Shinra, for the rest of my life?" Aerith asked.

Cloud instantly thought of his nightmare, how they ended the same way as in the tape. It made the ex-soldier's blood boil. He knew it was something they would have to worry about, but there was no way he was going to let it happen. Shinra took Aerith from him once and Sephiroth almost did too, _But that's as close as they will ever get_.

"Of course not!" Cloud stood up, looking at Aerith, "Shinra will never hurt you ever again. We have to stop Sephiroth right now, but I will make sure Shinra and Hojo pay for what they did."

"Thank you Cloud." Aerith said softly with a lifted morale. Cloud smiled back. He extended his hand to her; she grabbed it and stood up from the bench.

"Everyone else is starting to go to bed, you want to go back to the inn? We're going to leave tomorrow."

"Well..." Aerith paused, moving her eyes towards the two girls finishing their snowman. "I never played in the snow before. Watching the kids make a snowman looks like a lot of fun." She leaned forward towards Cloud, "Want to help me make one?"

"You know we don't have much time until it gets dark." Cloud wanted to join her, but was afraid to call it a day with a headless snowman.

"I think we can do it." The Cetra will not be stopped. "Let's go!"

Aerith was a natural at making a snowman. Cloud wasn't too bad himself but had trouble keeping the snow together, Aerith cast ice whenever it happened so the snow would stick.

They made the bottom, middle, and top and stacked them on top of each other. Sticks were given to it for arms, but they didn't know what to do with the face.

After pondering for a few minutes, Aerith had a "Eureka moment" She gave Cloud a mischievous smile and began rearranging the head, attaching more snow. Cloud didn't know where she was going with it, but when she was almost done it was apparent. The Cetra changed the shape of his face so the snowman had spiky hair like Cloud. She cast ice on it once more to make sure it stayed.

"What do you think?" She beamed, a smile extending from cheek to cheek.

"Not bad." Cloud laughed. "But what are you going to do about the eyes?"

"Way ahead of you." Aerith looked through her spare material, hoping there would be enough. Yuffie "bought" several "all" materia, too much for the party to ever use. Almost as if it was meant to be, the "all" materia is a blue materia, the same color as Cloud's eyes. The Cetra grabbed two materia and placed it on the snowman to make it look like eyes.

"What do you think!?" Aerith said, motioning her arm to the snowman as if it was a show. She was very proud of herself. It had Cloud's spiky hair and blue eyes.

"Perfect." Cloud admitted. He was embarrassed at the thought of the others seeing it, but he didn't have the heart to tell her to do something to it.

She stared at Cloud during the last few moments of daylight, the orange sunset shining on the ex-soldier's frame. She was so happy everything he has done for her. She was Cloud's angel, and he was her bodyguard. He came through for her time and time again.

The Cetra knew she had to take care of Sephiroth, it is her duty. But if she going to do it, she wanted her bodyguard with her every step of the way.

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A/N- And that's chapter 2. It ended up being a little longer than what I intended it to be. I am not sure what to have as the norm but I will try to make each future chapter close in terms of length.

Also, thank you guys for reviewing chapter 1. A review really does help a lot and it's always nice to hear something positive or learn something that can help me do justice to this wonderful game and couple in future chapters. So thanks again, very much appreciated :D.

That being said, hope you guys enjoyed it. Next chapter will be the crater. Have a good one guys.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hey guys. Okay, so no crater yet, didn't realize what I intended to write before it would be so much. I really hope you guys liked what I wrote. Enjoy.

Disclaimer- I don't own Final Fantasy 7

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"Barret?" Tifa called out the avalanche leader. He was distracted, too busy to pay attention to the world outside him. He marveled in awe at what he held in his two hands. It was perfection, it was art, and it was his pinnacle of happiness.

It was a sandwich.

Barret took another bite of his piece of glory, taking his time to chew, savoring the overwhelming taste.

"Barret!?" Tifa shouted a little louder. It was not enough, Barret took another bite, his smile grew wider.

"BARRET!" Tifa shouted again with all her might. Barret stopped chewing and turned to Tifa.

"Finally." Tifa sighed. "I am going to go look for Cloud, they haven't been back yet." All of the party stayed in the inn except for Cloud and Aerith, who missed dinner.

Barret swallowed his food. "They'll be fine. Just relax." He pointed at the extra sandwiches. "Eat up. Who knows what will happen tomorrow, eat now while you can."

"Is there anything else we can do besides stuffing ourselves with food!?" Yuffie was bored and the taste of the sandwiches was lost on her. She sat on a chair with her legs crossed on the table, her hands on the back of her head.

"I got a deck of cards, anybody know how to play Poker?" Cid took out the deck from his pocket and put them on the table. Yuffie moved her legs off the table and moved her chair closer.

"I'm in."

xxxxx

Aerith was fixated on Cloud. The Cetra couldn't explain it. Maybe it was the way the sunset shone over him. Maybe it was his blue eyes that always got her attention. Maybe it was just this moment that has been in the making since they met, she couldn't tell for sure. All she knew was that she loved him and wanted to let him know.

Aerith felt this way for a long time but was content on waiting to tell Cloud. She was prepared to sacrifice herself at the forgotten capital before telling him her feelings. It wasn't until she saw the tape of her parents that she thought of letting Cloud know. The tragic ending did not hide their love for each other and they looked happy to Aerith. She knew something could happen to her or her bodyguard but she didn't want any regrets. She wanted Cloud to know how much she loved him.

The brunette wanted to tell him right there about everything. She opened her mouth but the words didn't come out. Aerith asked herself why she couldn't say it. She didn't feel it was rushed, they have been through so much, it's not just a flame. She didn't feel the timing was wrong; they are alone together, possibly the last time before they confront Sephiroth. She was able to shove Cloud out of his hotel room to go on a date with her, why couldn't she tell him three simple words?

It was fear.

She was afraid of Cloud rejecting her. She knew he had feelings for her too. They have dated, they have kissed, but a small but real doubt in her heart was that Cloud may reject her love because he may be afraid of hurting her, or he himself wasn't ready. Aerith wasn't someone to be caught up in the fear of failure but she never felt this strong about anything before, and losing it would devastate her.

The gears in her mind were brought to a halt when Cloud called out to her.

"Aerith, what are you thinking about?" Cloud asked, oblivious that it was about him.

"It's nothing." Aerith lied, shaking her head. The ex-soldier looked around, noticing whatever sunlight was left is now gone. The only people outside were them, the only light outside came from the windows in nearby houses.

Cloud intended to pry further but he felt something wet on his nose. He brushed it off and looked up again. The sky had scattered clouds, it was snowing flurries. The snow distracted Aerith.

"I've never seen it snow before." Aerith smiled, holding out her hand to reach for the snow to see what it felt like.

"Me neither." Cloud agreed. He watched Aerith grab the snow and he mimicked her. Snow fell on Cloud's hair; it accumulated so much it looked like Cloud had a napkin on his head.

"Your hair will droop down if you let it stay." Aerith laughed, wiping the snow off for him. Cloud ran a head through his hair to straighten it out. The snow didn't look like it was going to go away, he thought about going back.

 _The guys are waiting for us to come back_ The blond remembered that he told everyone that he was looking for Aerith _._

"It's starting to get late, you want to head back?" Cloud pointed at the inn. Even though he started to feel tired, he didn't want to go back but he thought about everyone else and how they know he is looking for Aerith. They were worried about her too.

Aerith bit her lip and tilted her head down; she was reminded of her thoughts about Cloud. She was still undecided on telling him. Her mind went back and forth like a pendulum; the thoughts came faster as if it would help her find the answer she wanted. Cloud furrowed his brow, puzzled at Aerith's expression on her face.

"Aerith?"

The Cetra's mind cleared and her head moved up as if someone flipped a switch. She spoke out of impulse. "Cloud, I want to stay out a little more, let's take a walk." She grabbed his hand and walked away, not giving him a chance to say no. They moved in a direction that is completely opposite of the inn. Cloud hoped this is what she would say. He thought about his friends and wondered if they would worry.

 _It's only for a little bit..._

xxxxx

Tifa, Barret, Cid, and Yuffie played poker, a stack of chips with different colors were on the middle of the table. Red XIII watched while Vincent sat in a chair from another table in the room. Cait Sith stood around the lobby giving fortunes to random people. They were almost finished playing, Barret and Tifa were almost out of chips. Yuffie had more than they had but Cid had a large stack near him.

"Cloud has been away for a while." Red XIII said. "Should we go look for him and Aerith and see if they are ok?"

"They'll be awright." Barret replied, putting down two cards. "They're adults, they can take care of themselves. You guys worry too much." Tifa wasn't convinced but she stayed silent.

"Yeah, they'll be just fine." Cid said with a lit cigarette in his mouth. They put down their cards, Tifa had a two pair but Cid won with a full house. The engineer put out his cigarette and stood up from his chair.

"Haha! Cid shouted. He embraced the chips and pulled them towards him. "Another game, another win!" He gloated, striking a nerve in Yuffie.

"Alright old man, one more game!" Yuffie pointed to Cid with purpose. Cid wasn't going to reject her challenge, especially with the luck he was having today.

"Alright kid, one more. You're on!" Cid let out another laugh, he was in complete faith in himself.

Tifa took the cards and began to shuffle them. She thought about Cloud and Aerith and brought the topic back up.

"Are you sure they are ok?" Tifa said, dealing out the cards. "What if Cloud gets controlled again and does something to Aerith?"

"The last time that happened, Cloud almost shredded Sephiroth." Yuffie pointed out while looking at her cards.

"Yeah, so they're ok." Barret looked at his hand with disgust. He slammed his cards on the table. "I'm out."

"Yeah I will fold too." Tifa said. Cid looked at them triumphantly then turned to Yuffie.

"I ain't foldin' kid." Cid snickered. Yuffie responded with a smirk, matching his confidence. The tension built up in the room, other patrons approached the table to see the result. They whispered among themselves.

Cid revealed his cards; it was another full house, just like the last game.

"Just my day I guess." Cid said with fake humility.

Yuffie had three Aces, not enough to beat the engineer. It was one thing to lose, but it was another to lose and hear about it for the next few hours. She took one shot to try and steal the game from Cid.

"Cloud, Aerith, you're back!" Yuffie tried the oldest trick in the book. The ninja looked towards the front door to help "sell it" Much to her surprise, everyone turned to the front door to see for themselves, even the spectators. The Ninja facepalmed, she was almost as embarrassed for them as she was excited.

 _GAWD, they are so gullible_ and with a swift motion, she reached in her pocket for a card she needed, the fourth ace. The ninja replaced it with another card before anyone noticed.

"Yuffie, I see nothin'." Barret stated the obvious.

Yuffie shrugged. "Must be tired I guess."

"Alright, put em' down." Cid grew impatient.

Yuffie placed the cards nonchalantly on the table to emphasize her control of the situation. Her four Aces beat Cid's full house.

"WHAT!?" Cid shouted with a fiery roar, a vain popped on his head. Vincent dozed off but woke up from Cid's scream.

"Sorry old man, better to be lucky than good." Yuffie stuck her tongue out at him and brought all the chips on the table to her. The patrons left the table to do their own business.

"All the materia I can buy with this!" Yuffie beamed, adding insult to injury.

"Alright, I'm done." Barret got up from his chair and patted Cid on the back. Cid sat there, frozen in sadness.

"Cid, wake the &^#$# up, it's over." Barret hit him slightly harder to try and get him out of his trance.

"Alright...I'm fine, I'm fine." Cid got up. " #$^# this, I'm going to bed."

"Good idea tomorrow will be a really big day." Red XIII concurred.

"Should we tell Cloud?" Tifa asked.

"You guys go to bed, I'll go get them." Barret said and began to walk out of the inn. He was tired but he knew it was the right thing to do.

"Perhaps all of us should go." Red XIII suggested.

Barret stopped and turned back to everyone. "We're in the middle of #$^& nowhere, I can handle it."

"Alright, but get us if you can't find them." Tifa said. Barret walked away from the party, giving a wave with his back turned to them.

xxxxx

Cloud and Aerith continued to walk around icicle inn, the snow still coming down. They didn't say much. Cloud thought it was odd Aerith was so quiet but he didn't mind the silence. Ever since they were alone at the park in Midgar, Cloud was happy just by having Aerith near him.

The brunette also enjoyed Cloud's company, but rather than enjoying herself she was still caught up on confessing her feelings to Cloud.

 _I may not get another chance...but what if he says no!?_ She thought. Her silence reached the point where Cloud became concerned. He stopped walking, cupped her chin with his hand and moved her face up so her eyes met his.

"Aerith you sure you're ok? You haven't said anything for a while now." Aerith noticed the sincere tone in Cloud's voice. She almost told him right there.

"I'm fine, you don't have to worry Cloud." Aerith offered a smile, hoping to convince the blond. He didn't buy it.

"If there is something you have to say, you know you can tell me right?" Cloud smiled "I'll always be here for you."

It made Aerith happy to hear those words, but figured Cloud assumed she was thinking about something like the Ancients or Shinra.

 _I wish it was that easy to tell you Cloud_.

"When did you become the worrying type?" Aerith tried to joke back to Cloud. To her credit she got a chuckle from him. "I am ok, but thanks for caring."

"Perhaps we should get back? The snow may get worse." Cloud wondered. He thought it was possible Aerith wanted to go back but stayed for his benefit. The blond extended his hand for Aerith to take. The Cetra took it and walked back with him, the battle in Aerith's mind went another round. After countless decision changes, she stopped her mind instantly and went with one thought as if it was a roulette.

"Cloud, wait a minute. I have to tell you something." Aerith said, her nervousness evident on her face.

 _I have to tell him. I have to trust us._

"Ok. What's wrong?" Cloud furrowed his brow. He couldn't recall a time where Aerith seemed this way.

Aerith looked down for a moment, trying to find the best way for the words to come out. She had so much she wanted to tell him and she didn't know where to start. The Cetra thought about changing her mind and wait for another day.

But there was no better time than now.

Aerith lifted her head and made eye contact with her bodyguard.

"Cloud, a lot has happened the last few days." Aerith started. "We had the date at the gold saucer, Sephiroth...you know, and I learned about my parents. I don't know what's going to happen next. I know you will always be there for me Cloud, but I just want to tell you this before something else happens." Aerith took a breath and hesitated before continuing.

"...I love you Cloud. You had me when you fell through the roof at the church. Everyday after that I fell in love with you more and more. I know in the future I will love you more than I do now."

"My heart is **yours**."

Aerith was worried what he would say but she felt so much better letting it out, so much that she didn't realize Cloud's breathless reaction. Her words reached his heart. He never had someone love him the way Aerith does. The ex-soldier didn't talk but looked at her, over and over.

 _I don't deserve you._ Cloud thought. How did someone so beautiful, so selfless, and so pure fall in love with him? The same thought echoed in the mind.

 _Aerith...I don't deserve you_. Cloud thought about the times when Sephiroth controlled him. His biggest fear was for something to happen to Aerith because of him. He wanted to tell her he loved her more than anything, but he didn't want to risk it, he didn't want to hurt her. He had 1000 reasons to tell her no versus one reason to say yes.

But that one reason was the greatest of them all.

Cloud turned his brain off like a light and decided to let his heart do the talking. He decided to say what he truly felt in his heart and soul. The blond gave the Cetra a smile and closed the gap between them. He peered into her eyes, those emerald green eyes he adored since he met her.

"I love you too Aerith." He wrapped his arms around her and lowered his head onto her neck. Aerith's eyes widened, her body couldn't respond to Cloud's embrace.

"I don't know when I fell in love with you," Cloud continued. "But when I did, it felt like I was in love with you the whole time, it just felt right. When you left us I was worried that something would happen to you and I would never see you smile, hear you laugh, hear you say my name again. You mean everything to me."

Cloud moved his head back to look back at her "Now that you are in my life, I don't know what to do if you aren't in it anymore." Cloud paused before finishing.

"You are my world Aerith. My heart is also **yours**."

Aerith was overcome by jubilation. It brought her to a high she didn't see herself coming down anytime soon. It was almost too good to be true.

"Oh Cloud, I'm so happy!" Aerith was able to move again and wrapped Cloud in her arms. She tightened her grip on the blond, her head rested over his shoulder. Cloud's head draped over her neck. He smelled her hair, he was intoxicated by it's natural scent of flowers.

The snow started to pick up. The couple looked at each other and smiled. The snow was so strong they couldn't see anything else but each other. The couple looked into each others' eyes once more, drawn into each other like a whirlpool. Their contract had everything except their signature.

And with what felt like fireworks, they closed their eyes and pressed their lips onto each other. Their heads were spinning, hearts were racing; the heat emanating from them could melt even the most frozen of ice. They kissed before, but this one is different, it's their first kiss as lovers, it was their initiation as one, to be bound to each other always.

Cloud forgot about going back to the inn, all he could think about was how soft Aerith's lips were. Aerith moaned before intensifying the kiss. Her tongue slowly explored inside Cloud, looking for its resident. Cloud placed his hand behind Aerith's head and met her tongue with his, engaging in a moist exchange between the two halves.

Nothing else mattered, they almost forgot where they were. They parted their lips, eyes opening again. Cloud looked at the brunette, as happy as can be.

"We waited too long for this." He said to his angel. Aerith was speechless, she could only respond with a nod.

They were unaware that Barret saw the whole thing. He thought about scolding them for not letting anyone know that they were alright, especially with Sephiroth around, but he didn't have the heart to stop them. He remembered a time where Cloud didn't care about anything or anyone, he smirked at the thought of how much the Cetra changed him. In a way, he was proud of the spiky blond.

 _Let them be happy._ Barret thought and walked back to the inn. He looked up and noticed the blizzard and looked at his snow covered vest, it sparked in him one final thought, _I need to get the hell out of this weather._

xxxxx

The couple stayed outside for a few more hours, talking about each other and about their future. The blizzard was still coming down but the air felt warm. Even if it was cold, they were too happy to care.

"You know, I don't think your mother would be happy about this." Cloud half joked. He remembered how Elmyra wanted him to leave Aerith back home when they met.

"You're being silly." Aerith rejected his claim. "I'm sure after we tell her all the things you did for me, she will like you."

"I hope so." Cloud rubbed the back of his head, hoping Aerith was right. Cloud was about to continue with another topic, but out of nowhere, he finally remembered that they were supposed to go back.

"Aerith, we have to go back." Cloud said somberly.

"Why, what's wrong?" Aerith tilted her head.

"I told everyone I was looking for you, when it was still daylight." Cloud was a little embarrassed that he forgot.

"Why didn't you tell me this before? You bad boy." Aerith jokingly reprimanded him, waving her index finger.

Cloud got on one knee, took Aerith's hand and kissed it. "I'm sorry my dear." He responded Aerith's playful talk with his own. He rose up from the ground.

"I'm happy you did. If you didn't forget then we wouldn't be here now." Aerith smiled. "But you are right, we should probably head back."

Cloud put his arm around Aerith and they began their walk back to the inn. Aerith looked at the snow falling down confused.

"Has it been snowing this hard all this time?" Aerith asked. She was too focused on Cloud to notice the blizzard.

"I think so. To be honest, I dunno either." They both laughed at their awareness.

"Should we sneak into our rooms like last night?" Aerith wondered, hoping that they didn't have to.

"We probably should." Cloud admitted.

The couple made their way to the inn. They dusted off their boots and walked inside. Cloud was prepared to say good night to Aerith but heard someone call out to him.

"Excuse me, is your name Cloud?" It was a worker at the inn, who stood behind the check-in desk. Cloud walked up to him and nodded, Aerith was behind him.

"A man bought you a room for the night." The clerk put down a key and a piece paper, "He also left a note for you. Enjoy your stay tonight."

Cloud grabbed the paper and examined it.

 _Cloud, it's too late and everyone went to bed. Your stupid ass forgot to get enough beds for everyone,_ The blond rolled his eyes at the last sentence and continued to read. _So I got you another room._

Cloud saw Barret's signature at the end of the letter and below it saw some more writing. _P.S I didn't tell anyone, I'll leave that up to you guys._

"Barret got us another room. I think he saw us." Cloud's cheeks reddened at the thought. Aerith laughed inwardly, relishing Cloud's awkward reaction to being seen.

She snatched the key from the Cloud. "Let's go see the room!" The Cetra said, dragging Cloud in excitement.

They walked up the stairs to the second floor. With each step Cloud's heart beat faster and faster. When he left earlier today to go see Aerith, this was not what he expected to happen! His feelings were a mix of excitement and nervousness. The thought of being in a room alone with Aerith made him excited. The ex-soldier's imagination entertained him with some lustful scenes with him and his lover. Cloud's cheeks heated, he never had those thoughts about Aerith before. At the same time he noted to himself he had never been with a woman in that way before, he was worried about his inexperience.

Unlike Cloud, Aerith took the events more in stride. Now that she has him, she intended to accept whatever happens between them tonight. All she wanted was Cloud to be with her. The night has been perfect for her but she didn't mind it getting better.

Their room was down the hallway, they had to walk past the rooms where their friends were sleeping. They didn't trust the walls so they walked very slowly, making sure to not say a word to each other until they reached their room. Cloud, still very nervous, almost tripped but regained his footing, earning a muffled laugh from the brunette.

Aerith unlocked the door and opened it. The room was no different than the other rooms in inns that they have been in before. There was a shower, windows, a desk, a king size bed-

"There's only one bed here." Aerith told Cloud, the reddish hue returning to the ex-soldiers face. _Barret assumed a lot_ Aerith thought, her cheeks also sporting a shade of red.

"You can have the bed, I'll sleep on the floor." Cloud said, attempting to take the chivalrous route.

"There is enough space for both of us, you don't have to do that." Aerith shot him down. "Do you want to go to the bathroom and change clothes?"

"I didn't bring any other clothes with me." The ex-soldier replied.

Aerith stayed resilient. "Well, you can still get more comfortable. Here, let me help." The Cetra pulled off his lone pauldron and tossed it aside. She then reached the bottom of his shirt. "Lift your arms up."

"Wh-wh-what are you doing?" Cloud stammered, but listened to her and did as she asked.

"Just trying to make you feel more comfortable is all." Aerith said politely, pulling Cloud's shirt off, revealing his entire upper body.

Aerith froze, this was the most she has seen of Cloud. She assumed he would be on the skinnier side but she misjudged his physique. Cloud had well toned abs and his upper body had no blemishes. He looked like a sculpture to her. _I guess it makes sense, he was in SOLDIER..._ Aerith trailed off and stayed fixated on Cloud's chest, causing the blond to call her.

"Aerith?"

Aerith's trance was broken and she met Cloud's eyes with her own. She tried to get back on topic.

"Right- so do you feel more comfortable now?" It was the Cetra's turn to blush, making whatever nervousness Cloud had go away.

"I'm fine. How about you, are you 'comfortable'" He smirked.

"Of course!" Aerith chimed, walking to the bathroom, averting Cloud's gaze until she opened the door. "I'm going to freshen up. Make yourself more comfortable." She almost closed the door before opening it again. "Remember, no peeking!" Aerith giggled and closed to door.

Cloud sat on the bed, his head resting on his hand. The entire night had been an array of firsts for Cloud, with one more about to come. He looked at his boots and decided to take them off, and then his socks. He noticed his gloves were still on and pulled them off.

The blond listened to Aerith and decided to lie down onto the bed. _This is nice._ He thought. The last few days Cloud had trouble sleeping and the beds didn't help him. He thought of the last time he felt a bed this comfortable. _Probably the bed at Aerith's house._ Cloud stayed under the blanket waiting for her.

The Cetra changed into a pink nightgown that went down to below her knees. She considered unbraiding her hair but decided to leave it as it is.

Aerith came out of the room and looked at Cloud. He appeared less nervous than earlier, his arms outstretched to cover the bed from side to side. "Cloud, I'm ready." She said with glee, but noticed her bodyguard didn't react to her.

The brunette looked at Cloud further and saw his eyes were closed. _How long was I in there?_ Aerith counted the minutes on her fingers to see how long she was in the bathroom. _I couldn't have been there that long, could I?_

She tilted her head and studied his face further. _It has been a rough couple of days. He is probably tired._ She smiled to herself. _I guess it will have to be next time then._

The Cetra went under the covers. She rolled herself where the side of her face was on Cloud's shoulder. She then wrapped Cloud's arm around her and she held him. She kissed his cheek and closed her eyes.

 _Good night, my love._

XXXXX

A/N: I want to say thank you to everyone who has been reading this. It is truly appreciated and it means a lot to me that you would take the time to read it. Until next time, have a good one.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Hey guys. A little later than I expected but here it is! I hope your weekend was good and that you like this next chapter. Enjoy.

Disclaimer- I don't own Final Fantasy 7.

XXXXX

The morning sun shone through the curtainless window hit Cloud's face, waking him up. He looked around, remembering little about what happened last night. Seeing a sleeping Aerith wrapped in his arm and resting her head on his shoulder however, did jog his memory about what they said to each other before. She held his torso with her own arm.

Cloud's mako blue eyes were fixated on his angel. He didn't understand why this girl, this deity, who could be anywhere, with anyone, would choose to be with him. Even when they met he felt like she knew him better than anyone ever did, or perhaps just knew how to handle him. The blond couldn't believe such a person could exist, let alone love him too. He kissed her forehead and looked at her sleeping soundly.

Right on cue, the Cetra's eyelids went up. She yawned and turned her head to look up at Cloud.

"Hey there." Cloud greeted.

Aerith tightened her grip on the ex-soldier. "Good morning." She said softly, still drowsy.

"Did I fall asleep last night?" Cloud asked.

Aerith nodded "Yeah, you were out of it."

"Sorry about that-" Cloud let out a yawn, using his free hand to cover his open mouth. "I didn't mean to."

"It's OK." Aerith tapped him. "This was the best sleep I ever had."

"To be honest, yeah me too." Cloud smiled.

"Can we get a room for ourselves from now on?" Aerith asked, a glint of hope in her emerald green eyes.

"I hope so. I have to ask Barret how much a room like this would cost."

Aerith traced circles on Cloud's bare chest. "After this, I don't think I can go back to being in a bed by myself. I'll be too lonely."

"I'll always be here for you Aerith." Cloud wrapped his other arm around her and held her tight, their eyes locked on to each other. Aerith mulled over Cloud's last words then inched her face closer to his. She closed her eyes and kissed him, which the ex-soldier quickly returned.

Her lips were as every bit as delicious as they were last night, But Cloud wanted more. He parted from Aerith's lips and readjusted himself so he was completely on top of her and then brought his lips back to her. The Cetra was surprised that Cloud was being more assertive than last night, but she welcomed it.

"What's gotten into you?" Aerith playfully asked.

"It's your fault for being so beautiful." Cloud retorted.

She embraced Cloud in her arms, pulling him closer, urging him on. Cloud planted kisses on her lips, then her checks, and then down to her neck. The blond wanted her, and he had to have her now.

Cloud then sat upright, earning a groan of disapproval from Aerith. It wasn't until she realized that Cloud was trying to unbuckle his belt that her smile grew back.

"Stop teasing me." Aerith threw an extra pillow at Cloud. He chuckled and moved the pillow out of the way. As he was unbuckling his belt, something caught his eye in the window. He peeked at it and noticed some people were outside. _No..._

To his horror, he spotted all of his friends outside. Cloud couldn't duck from their sight any faster. Nothing else could've killed the mood more efficiently.

Aerith smirked, unaware of what Cloud knows. "You look like you just seen a ghost."

"They're outside." Cloud muttered. Aerith gasped with widened eyes, realizing that they may have been caught. They both got out of bed and tried to get dressed as fast as possible.

"Do you think anybody saw you?" Aerith was changing in the bathroom, where she left her normal attire.

"I dunno, probably not. I was only there for a second." Cloud said, hopping on one foot, trying to get his boot on the other. Just as they were about to leave the room, Aerith stopped Cloud.

"Wait!" She noticed his Pauldron was on the wrong way and adjusted it for him.

They raced out of the room and made their way downstairs and outside the inn. Their friends all stared at them when they showed up.

"Nice of you to join us!"Cid greeted with a big grin, "Sorry we couldn't give you two more time to finish your...business." Cloud and Aerith's faces turned red. Whatever hope they had at their friends not knowing vanished.

Yuffie felt the need to make it a two-pronged attack. "Sorry guys, I couldn't keep this one to myself. Cloud, you looked like you were really into it there. Nice abs by the way." She said before laughing.

Of course it had to have been Yuffie to be the one to see them. If it was someone like Red XIII, Vincent, or maybe even Barret, then there would have been some kind of discretion. But instead, perhaps the worst one to see them was the one to get the view. Aerith and Cloud were speechless.

"Let em' go guys. They're young, it's what young people do." Barret chided, but inadvertently made Cloud and Aerith feel even more embarrassed.

"Let's go." Cloud walked towards the way out with his head down, trying his very best to fight off the red still lingering on his face. He had no intentions of responding to anyone at all, for a long time. So when he heard someone call out his name, he completely ignored it. When he heard his named called a second time the blond slowed down, he realized the voice wasn't one of his friends.

He finally turned around to see it was a panting and wheezing Elena, a member of the Turks, accompanied by two soldiers.

"I won't let you go any further!" Elena shouted.

Cloud turned around and looked back at the Turk. "What's down there?" He shrugged.

"It's a SE-CR-ET." Elena began. "It really doesn't matter! But you got guts messing up my boss like that."

Cloud raised an eyebrow, confused at what she was talking about. "You mean boss...Tseng? That wasn't us. Sephiroth did it." _How come she doesn't know?_

Cloud's words fell on deaf ears. Elena shook her head, not buying it. "No! Don't think you can fool me, liar!"

Aerith came from behind and stood next to Cloud. "Cloud's not lying. It was Sephiroth!"

Elena turned to the Cetra, annoyed. "Who brought you into this!?"

"Who are you to come here and say we are lying!?" Aerith fumed back.

Elena paused, tapping her foot, growing more and more impatient. "I was going to hit Cloud, but I will warm up with you first. I think you need to feel some pain!" She walked towards Aerith.

But the Cetra wasn't backing down. "Give me your best shot!"

Elena readied her right hand, confident on where it's going to go. Few things would gratify her as much as landing this punch on Aerith, who made her so mad that this became physical. She was also a little jealous of the Cetra, as she heard Reno and Rude talk about how Tseng likes Aerith. This punch would definitely feel good!

But Aerith anticipated where it was going; she moved her head away, dodging Elena's punch. The Turk put everything into it, so much that the momentum carried her past Aerith. She fell and began to roll off the mountain. The two guards ran after her with worry.

Everyone looked dumfounded, not anticipating the anti-climactic outcome, except for Cloud. He turned to Aerith and gave her an approving nod. "Nice moves."

Aerith smirked. "And you didn't think I was cut out for SOLDIER."

"Perhaps we should go now?" Red XIII suggested, being the first to break out of the mental lock.

"Sure." Cloud agreed and turned towards the cliff, where the "SE-CR-ET" was. The rest of them quickly followed.

xxxxx

The party continued to make their way up the great glacier. They regretted feeling that the icicle Inn was cold, it was a piece of cake compared to here. The weather made time move slower, distances feel longer, and morale lower. The wind also didn't help. Yuffie's face turned blue. Barret rubbed his bare arms, his artificial metal hand felt like it weighed a ton. Cid tried to light up a Cigarette to try and forget about the weather but it didn't help. Tifa and Aerith shivered uncontrollably. Red XIII claimed he was okay but he occasionally stopped and took snow out of his ears.

"Is everyone alright?" Cloud asked, not really knowing why he did. It was obvious they were suffering.

"I'm sick of this." Aerith said, fighting off the shivers while doing so.

"A little off." Caith Sith said quietly.

"Yeah, I'm alright." Vincent admitted. Everyone looked at the man with awe, either he had nerves of steel or he was hiding a heater underneath his cape.

Nevertheless they bitterly trekked the snowy mountain. Just as they were about to collapse from the barrage of snow, Tifa saw a house in the distance, with a flapping white flag hanging up.

"Guys, look!" She pointed at the house. It was like finding an oasis in the middle of the dessert. With a new surge or energy, they raced to the house. Before they could even knock on the door, the resident came outside with a pleasantly shocked look on his face.

"Now, this is a surprise!" Said the man. He put his hand on his chin and looked up.

"How many years has it been since I last saw anyone here..." He trailed off. He would've continued to be lost in thought had the party's shivering not break his concentration.

"Oh, excuse me!" The man was a little embarrassed. "My name is Holzoff. I've lived here for 20 years now. You mind listening to the stories of a lonely climber?"

"Can we listen inside?" Barret asked impatiently. Holzoff nodded and everyone raced inside the house.

The party sat in a room along with Holzoff. It was just what the doctor ordered, the timing couldn't have been any better. Although it wasn't much warmer it was far more tenable than outside. Not being knee deep in snow made the cold weather not as bad.

"You ever hear about those that challenged the cliff?" He curiously asked them all. Everyone shook their head.

"You mean there are other people that have been here before?" Red XIII asked, bewildered that other people would risk their lives climbing up this cliff.

"Yes, you guys aren't the first." Holzoff replied. "There's an old legend that says something fell from the sky here a long time ago. That's what's supposed to have pushed the land up and formed this cliff." Holzoff continued.

Cloud and Aerith looked at each other, both remembering the video tapes where Ifalna mentioned the planet being wounded. They both turned to Holzoff, prompting him to continue.

"30 Years ago, Yamski and I took this cliff on to see what was on the other side. But, we weren't prepared for it."

"How can it be worse than what's outside here?" Yuffie asked, scared at the thought they didn't really go through the worst of it.

"We did expect the temperature to be low but..." Holzoff paused, looking for the right words. "On that cliff, there's always a biting cold wind. The cold air lowers your body temperature."

The old man continued, his voice growing more somber. "Yamski, was below me. He cut his own rope..." The look on his face showed the memory still haunted him as if it happened yesterday.

"...and I didn't even notice..." Holzoff lowered his head.

"That's terrible." Aerith said. "You have been here all by yourself then. I'm so sorry."

"Thank you miss." Holzoff replied, lifting his head. "Ever since then, I've settled here... continuing to challenge the cliff, and provide warning and shelter to my fellow climbers."

"How can we climb the cliff?" Cloud asked.

"Once you get to a ledge, make sure you warm yourselves up." The old man replied. "And follow the red flags."

"Thank you for helping us and letting us stay here." Tifa said gratefully.

"Oh, it's no trouble at all." Holzoff said. "You must've used a lot of energy getting up here... Better get some rest before you head out."

The party turned to Cloud. The blond was ready, but after listening to Holzoff's daunting story and seeing his friends look at him with cold weary eyes, he agreed and the party rested for a little while. If they were going to survive this mountain, they may as well be in their best shape for it.

xxxxx

The party left Holzoff's house and gathered outside. Most of them were still visibly affected from the harsh conditions except for Cait Sith, Red XIII, Vincent, and Cloud. It helped them to be a toy, have fur, and be Vincent. Cloud was affected from the cold but he didn't show it. The blond took Holzoff's struggles climbing the mountain to heart and tried to make a plan that would keep them out of the cold for as long as possible.

"We'll secure the route." Cloud pointed at Caith Sith and Red XIII, signaling them to join him. "You guys come up later. Stay in the house in the meantime." He addressed to the others.

On the way to the cliff, Caith Sith took him aside and talked to him in private.

"This is secret info, but..." The toy cat started. "Rufus' going to arrive here, too."

"For the promised land?" Cloud inquired. Cait Sith nodded. Cait Sith felt like he was heaping bad news but Cloud was happy to hear this, for he can now in one fell swoop end both Sephiroth and Shinra.

"Do you know how close they are?" Cloud asked.

"Not sure. But they are coming by airship." Caith Sith responded.

"Alright, let's try to get there first then." The ex-soldier said before walking towards the mountain.

The mountain was fierce and the blustering winds were as brutal as Holzoff claimed. Thankfully the red flags were left at points where Cloud could warm himself. Every time they reached one he took a minute to regain his body heat before climbing again.

"Are you handling it OK?" Red XIII was concerned.

Cloud offered a nod and continued to climb up with the others while clearing the route from monsters until they reached the top. There they signaled Vincent, who was still outside while everyone else was trying to stay warm, to gather everyone else and join them up the cliff. An entrance to a cave was in front of them. The party entered inside in hope to attain respite from the blizzard.

Inside the crystal blue cave, the team surveyed the area. It was hard to keep their footing on the icy floors, Red XIII tripped a few times before getting used to it. The walls cast their reflection, which Aerith played with to make distorted reflections of her.

"Cloud, look." She giggled. Cloud stood next to her and watched his friends being unfairly depicted by the walls. He fought a laugh when he saw Barret's reflection; it was a smaller and wider version of the man.

Barret looked annoyed. "Yer's looks like a stick!" Indeed, Cloud's reflection was very tall and skinny, his arms were barely visible.

"I think it looks cute." Aerith smiled.

"Whatever!" A grumpy Barret walked away. The party continued to move forward.

"Nobody ever climbed to the top before right? Guess we'll be the first." Yuffie gloated, still holding herself to try and get some warm back.

"Perhaps someone successfully scaled the mountain before Holzoff's time?" Red XIII wondered. Aerith mulled over his question, thinking that it was possible that the Cetra in the past may have done this before.

"Are we close to the top?" Cait Sith was hopeful.

"I think there is still more." Tifa muttered.

"As long as we don't have to go back out, we're OK." Cid said casually, with his hands on the back of his head. "

The party ventured further and found the continuing path leads right back outside. Cid's cigarette fell from his mouth.

"You mean there's *&$^$# more!?" A very deflated Cid said.

"It's alright, we'll do what we did before." Red XIII said. The red lion and Cait Sith walked out to secure the route again. Cloud was about to join them but was held back by Aerith.

"You want to take a break?" Aerith was worried. She was aware that Cloud doesn't have some kind of cold surviving gift that Red XIII and Cait Sith have.

"I'll be fine." Cloud gave her a reassuring smile and joined his two partners. Cloud's body wasn't immune to the uninhabitable weather, but nothing was going to stop him from reaching Sephiroth. The sooner he could reach the top and stop him and Shinra from destroying the planet, hurting his friends, and hurting Aerith, the better.

They did as before and found their way inside another cave. Before going inside, Cloud looked down, noting how far up they have come. All nine of them have been through their own ordeals just to get here, to be so close to the top. Perhaps by themselves they would have failed, but with the support they provided each other and the common goal to save the planet, they may complain here and there, but their resolve never wavered.

Just as they were about to reach the end of the final cave, a two headed dragon appeared. One head was grey and resembled a fish and was capable of breathing fire. The other head was red with horns and had the same breath attack as the other, but with ice.

Their moves were fierce, but they pushed the party to their limit quickly. After being hit by a breath attack, Red XIII howled, summoning a cluster of stars that fell on the boss, damaging both heads. Cloud was also at his limit, he pierced the dragon with his sword, stopping when only the hilt was visible. He then jumped away from the beast, his sword cutting through the creature's body.

As the boss was visibly defeated, it used a last resort attack, causing an explosion then fading away. This move caused considerable damage to the group. Aerith reached her limit and used her healing wind, which restored everyone at full health.

After the Cetra received thanks from everyone, the crew walked towards the way out. Cloud stopped when he felt something softly tap his butt.

"Nice job soldier." Aerith winked at him and raced outside with the others.

The ex-soldier followed his friends, knowing what they survived, though a hell in of itself, was merely the preliminary. He could feel Sephiroth near, calling out to him, and soon they will clash again. In the passing moments, Cloud knew there were only two outcomes, he will either defeat the man he once admired, or succumb to his will and lose everything.

But the ex-soldier blocked out the latter. He knew himself. And with Aerith by his side, there is no way he will allow it to happen again. _This time I will defeat you Sephiroth, once and for all._

XXXXX

A/N: I decided to stop here, so the next chapter can contain all the scenes in the crater. I know, the pacing, but we will get there!

But that was chapter four though. Thank you guys for reading it! I wish can give you an achievement or something for it, but it doesn't have that, so I will give you a clap. *clap* I know, not as good as an achievement...

But thanks again. Until next time, have a good one.


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